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Max 8;agg; But you had the same crash the previous week. Isn't that a warning? Yes, but I didn't know why. Then, in Japan, Yamaha made a press release explaining that I'm asking too much of the chassis and suspension, and the bike doesn't accept it. Like a structural problem. They took some pressure from me, but I was right. Rossi had the latest-model Honda - and why introdu.ce this new bike if it's not better than the other one? We didn't have a new bike from the year 2000 to 2001. We don't change chassis, we don't change the engine, we don't change suspension - only the 16.5·inch tires were new, and a new cylinder, and that's it. Then you gonna dream to win something. Rossi did have a good bike, in 2001 and last year. Speak to Kenny [Roberts]. He will tell you. I know Kenny has respect for your riding. He has a respect for me because he knows, plus or minus, what I'm riding - he knows I'm keeping trying. But sometimes, honestly... it's like going against a giant. Rossi says he is looking forward to racing you on an equal bike, but he also says that if you lose, you will only say it's because he has a better bike with factory parts. This is generally how it works. You know, I have watched him - in year one, he didn't win the first race; I did. He was with a factory team; I wasn't. He won two races - I did two races, too. I was chasing the championship with the World Champion [Doohan] there; he didn't. Rossi is a huge talent, of course. But it's struck me that he pulls himself up in public by pulling you down. What do you think? He said that when he was younger, he had my poster in his bedroom. There's some psycholo· gy there - some connection. Did he have it there to throw things at? (laughs) No, no, no, no. When he was very young, he told about this, but he doesn't say so Do you use Rossi to make you stronger? I don't like to say too much about it. You know, if you don't like a person, you say it once or twice. You don't have to say it a million times. (Biaggi is reffering to incidents on TV this year, when Rossi bad-mouthed Ukawa in Malaysia and Biaggi at Donington Park, and afterward had to retract his statements after a flood of complaints bye-mail to the station.) This happened twice this year. Before, people had an image of Rossi - that he is so nice, so sweet. Now there is a big change. I always say and think he's not what you see on television. About the new bikes, some people say we've lost something by switching to four-strokes, because they are much easier to ride. Some riders say the enjoyment is less. How about you? Maybe, but at the end of the day, very close. If you go to the limits, the two-stroke is more nervous and more precise. But with the four-stroke, to go at the limit all the time. it's a new view. I like to learn all the time, and this is a new way to work. But if you have a good base setting, you don't have to touch your bike so much. Of course, I have memories - but already this is the future, and still the beginning - and I think it will get more and more interesting. Do you think Yamaha made a mistake using carburetors on the M 1? No, they decided it was easy for them to make right, and the fuel injection was not ready. What was missing from the M1 at the start of the year? The chassis, the handling, some balance, but the chassis mainly; and the engine braking. That's why from when we start to now, we have new chassis, new engine capacity, new engine brake system, new seat, new fairing - everything new. The bike is another one. The Yamaha has a special clutch - the active slipper clutch. Watching, I can see you can change down like a two-stroke, just stamping on the pedal, no throttle. It depends on the way you set it. You can personalize it. It also depends on the layout of the track. And on the gearing. If you make shorter gears, automatically you gain engine braking, so if I want to try shorter gearing, I can reset the engine-braking system. It's all tuning the system. Is this something you can adjust from the handlebar while you ride, or in the pits? The pits. now. So you think he uses the put-downs for psychological boosting? Next year I will tell you. How about blipping the throttle? The blip you can do automatically - I mean the bike blips by itself. It's quite a clever system. Yes. I don't know how the other ones work. How do you rate his riding ability, then? Of course, he's very good. But if we compare him with his teammate, I think my teammate is stronger than his teammate· and the gap is wider. I cannot say more; this is a fact. But his teammate even won a race. 30 JANUARY 22. 2003' II: Y II: I e n • VII' S They all have just mechanical systems, including the Honda. But, you know, with one more cylinder, automatically you have less engine braking. Some of the bikes have something to bring up idle speed, such as the Suzuki. Like us. Some people think your system is to open one carburetor. We can choose how much we want the engine pulling, how much we want in the timing, and the percentage of one cylinder. Personally, Max, you are something of an enigma, and you are very independent. Do you still do all your own management and negotiating? Yes. Your parents split up when you were young. How old were you, and is this one of the reasons for your independence? I was 12 or 13. I don't think it affected me. Doohan and [lucal Cadalora did the same thing, negotiating their own contracts. I prefer, if there is a mistake, I am the one to make it. Were you always this character, walking alone, from when you were very young? Always independent? You know, when I came into this world [of racing], J realized it's like a war. Everyone tries to make their own thing, their own group, their own people, a small group. That's what I try to do. You seem to be very hard on yourself, too. This is true - many times I think too much. This is to have more motivation. This is my mentality. Have you sacrificed happiness to achieve your goal? Of course. I believe so. But it is my choice, and if you choose something, it's okay. I had to make compromises - my free time, friends I never see. I live in Monaco, so I'm not coming back to Italy, so I don't see my family. Money can't give you happiness. It can help your happiness, but I believe that I am there to do a job. For 10 years, I've been on the high level, and I'm always there. You know, I never finish seventh or eight [in the championship]. My worst is fourth. Wait and see what happens next year. I hope to be the one to take away from people some question marks. eN